A labour activist has asked the government to take care of foreign migrants who have contracted Covid-19 in Thailand.
The move came after a Facebook page called Klong Toey Land yesterday reported that an infected foreigner had slept on a bridge for two nights. The man said he usually slept at a market but was forced to leave the place after testing positive for the virus. He could not return to his rented room in Phra Khanong either.
He was later taken to a Covid-19 patient centre in the area.
Adisorn Kerdmongkol, manager of the Migrant Working Group, said a number of infected people in the Klong Toey area were migrant workers working at Klong Toey market. More than half had no medical coverage and were outside the social security system.
Infected people, Thai or migrant workers, must be treated quickly, so as to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to other people, Mr Adisorn said. There had been no clarity about where migrant workers without legal status could receive treatment if they were infected, he said.
The problem of infected migrant workers receiving no treatment was mostly found in Bangkok, which has the highest number of migrant workers in the country. Those in other provinces, including large ones such as Chiang Mai, had no problem getting treatment after being infected, Mr Adisorn said.
Legal migrant workers whose nationality had been proven as well as those working legally in Thailand under MOUs also find themselves in a tough position during the pandemic after their visa, work permit or passport expired, according to the activist.
Despite the cabinet resolution to extend their period of stay in the kingdom, the worsening pandemic and political turmoil in Myanmar made it harder for migrant workers to have their documents processed, he said.
Migrant workers with work permits feared they would be arrested if Thai authorities found their documents had expired, he said.
Mr Adisorn suggested the government automatically allow migrant workers to stay until 2022 to help lessen their concerns and prevent people from exploiting them.
